NAN-HE-6
Professionalism
By Lilian Chukwu
Lagos, April 24, 2017 (NAN) Mr Jide Oke, a property consultant, on Monday urged the Federal Government to apply professionalism to make the Federal Integrated Staff Housing (FISH) programme a success.
Oke, a former Chairman of Lagos Chapter of Nigeria Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS), gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
He applauded the Federal Government for the initiative to build houses at low cost for Federal Government staff nationwide, saying that it was also an approach to boost the building construction industry.
“There is no doubt that the initiative will result to great reduction in the over 17 billion housing deficit of the country and equally have great positive impact on the economy generally.
“But for the initiative to be successful and achieve the objective, the government must apply professionalism by ensuring that professional consultants from all cadres are
involved.
“Government must not allow the programme to be politicised, but ensure transparency at all stages of it while demanding for accountability from the consultants involved at all times.
“Failure to do this, the programme is very likely to be abandoned or allowed to die a natural death like previous numerous government’s projects,” he said.
Oke said that virtually all the proposed estates were still under construction and the construction pattern or speed depended on whatever agreement that might have been reached by the government and the contractors.
Oke, the Managing Partner, Jims Partnership Ltd., said that the programme would serve as incentive to staff.
“It is an incentive to remain in service and it will bring about peace of mind to millions of staff who are still under the mercy of landlords”.
He said that the FISH programme was designed by Federal Government to provide 5,000 housing units to federal government staff in all the states within the next three years.
Oke said that the sum of N40 billion was earmarked last year at the launch of the scheme by the government, while a N13 billion mortgage refinance investment loan was also packaged with the Nigerian Mortgage Refinancing Company (NMRC).
According to him, the scheme has the advantage of generating business opportunities for various consultants and stakeholders, particularly in all the new estates to be developed throughout the federation. (NAN)
LUC/AAB/TA
Edited By Adeboye Ajayi/Tajudeen Atitebi